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The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has asked all e-commerce Food Business Operators (FBOs) to ensure appropriate categorisation of food products being sold on their websites, a press release from Union health ministry said.
The food safety regulator has noted instances of food products licensed under 'Proprietary Food' with the nearest category - Dairy Based Beverage Mix or Cereal Based Beverage Mix or Malt Based Beverage - being sold on e-commerce websites under the category 'Health Drink', 'Energy Drink' etc. FSSAI has clarified that the term 'Health Drink' is not defined or standardised anywhere under the FSS Act 2006 or rules/regulations made thereunder. Therefore, FSSAI has advised all e-commerce FBOs to promptly rectify this misclassification by removing or de-linking such drinks or beverages from the category of 'Health Drinks / Energy Drinks' on their websites and place such products in the appropriate category as provided under the extant law. Proprietary Foods are items of food that are not standardized in Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations and Food Safety and Standards (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Food for Special Dietary Use, Food for Special Medical Purpose, Functional Food, and Novel Food) Regulations but use standardised ingredients. This corrective action by FSSAI aims to enhance clarity and transparency regarding the nature and functional properties of the products, ensuring that consumers can make well-informed choices without encountering misleading information. (ANI)
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